If you have been following my blog, you know that SheaMoisture has been giving me and my hair life lately! My hair had generally been responding really well to the brand as a whole, but more recently I have been loving the Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen, Grow, & Restore line. I purchased the shampoo, treatment masque, leave-in conditioner, styling lotion, and hair serum from Walgreens and I have been using them for about two months now.
Why I purchased
I was drawn to these particular products because of the Jamaican black castor oil ingredient. Throughout my hair journey (relaxed and natural), castor oil has always been a staple. Castor oil has helped to strengthen my hair and promote growth, so when I saw that SheaMoisture had a line made with Jamaican black castor oil, I knew it was up my alley. Other great ingredients used in this collection include:
Organic Shea Butter- Deeply moisturizes while conditioning hair and scalp
Peppermint- Stimulates the scalp for an invigorating experience
Rosemary Oil- stimulates scalp
Apple Cider Vinegar- contains natural AHAs that clarify and help regulate pH levels of the scalp
I appreciate that the products are made for natural, chemically
processed, color treated or heat styled hair because it means that I
should be able to use them at any stage of my hair journey. It seemed as
though I would be able to get some longevity out of this line. Like most SheaMoisture products, this line contains no sulfates, no parabens, no phthalates, no paraffin, no gluten, no propylene glycol, no mineral oil, no synthetic fragrance, no synthetic color, no DEA, and no animal testing.
Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen Grow & Restore Shampoo
This shampoo is a clarifying shampoo. It's purpose is to strip the hair of any buildup and balance the pH levels of the scalp. I always need one clarifying shampoo among my products and I was pleased to find that this shampoo would be able to take that spot. This shampoo was able to cleanse my hair without making it feel like I had used dish washing detergent (as do many clarifying shampoos I have tried). I could not go without applying conditioner or else my hair would've been drier than I would like, but it's a clarifying shampoo for a reason. This shampoo has a very runny consistency which made it easy to distribute throughout my scalp. My hair was clean, soft, and shiny after washing. I attribute the shine to the apple cider vinegar. ACV has given me great shine when I used it in the past. I did not continue to use ACV in my regimen because I felt as though it was a bit drying and I could not stand the smell; however, the combination of ACV, shea butter, and castor oil solved that issue completely.
I was able to try it out twice; once while my hair was in twists and had been deep conditioning, and another time while my hair was free without any pre-conditioning. My hair was more moisturized after shampooing on deep conditioned hair which was expected. This product comes in a 16.3 fl oz bottle which is 25% more than other SheaMoisture shampoos. Looks like I will be using this clarifying shampoo for a while and I have no problem with that!
Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen Grow & Restore Treatment Masque
I used this masque to deep condition in many different ways. I tried it on dry hair, freshly shampooed hair, freshly co-washed hair, and overnight. In every condition this masque was BOMB! The slip I got from this creamy product was amazing! As soon as I applied the product I was able to detangle extremely easily. My curls literally felt like they had melted into perfection. The product is said to restore strength and resilience to damaged, brittle, or chemically processed hair. I would definitely say that the product lives up to this promise. It took care of my brittle hair and left me with soft, silky, and bouncy curls. I also found that my curls were a lot less frizzy after using this product. I felt like this masque works similarly to my homemade conditioners and because of that it goes in rotation!
Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen Grow & Restore Leave-In Conditioner
This leave in conditioner has to be my favorite product of the line. It has a watery consistency which made it perfect to detangle with after washing. Like the masque, this leave-in left me with moisturized and shiny hair! Sometimes when I use watery leave in conditioners my hair becomes stringy and vulnerable to breakage. However, this JBCO leave-in left my hair feeling strong! This was very important to me because my strands are fine and if they are over-manipulated they snap and break. I was glad to find a leave in conditioner that has the perfect balance of strengthening and moisturizing properties. I mostly used this leave-in for wash and gos before applying gel and my hair stayed moisturized for days. I have been using this product non stop! I have already been through three jars! This styling lotion made me fall in love with wash and gos because it has my curls on their best behavior. Easy staple for sure.
Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen Grow & Restore Styling Lotion
The styling lotion promises to protect your hair while restoring moisture and shine. I am not exactly sure how I feel about this promise. My first time using the lotion was not pleasant. The consistency is similar to the leave-in conditioner but the lotion is not as watery. The first time around it left my hair sticky and stiff, but I had used waaaay too much of the product. It left a weird filmy/sticky feeling on my fingers. After a couple trials, I found that a little bit of this product goes a long way. I used it for a twist out and also to cornrow my hair. I tried it on my hair while it was damp and again while my hair was dry and it left me with great moisture and medium hold. I got a three day twistout with this product before having to re-twist. When I use the lotion with the JBCO leave-in I get amazing shine. Without the leave-in the shine does not last. When using the lotion without the leave-in I usually have to apply the JBCO serum to achieve lasting sheen. Don't use too much of this or you'll get product buildup! You can get moisturized and soft hair with only a dime size for a small section!
Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen Grow & Restorative Hair Serum
I used this serum as a scalp massaging oil. It is an extremely light product but it distributes on the scalp really well. I only needed about 5 to 10 drops of it to cover my whole scalp. For about a month and a half, I applied the serum at night and gave myself a scalp massage for about 10 to 15 minutes. The serum had both my scalp and my roots feeling extremely moisturized. By the morning, the serum runs down my strands and moisturizes the rest of my hair. I loved this product! The only thing I didn't like was that you only get 2 fl oz of product. For $10.99 I wish I could've gotten more; especially since the shampoo, lotion, masque, and leave in are similarly priced and come with upwards of 8 fl oz of product.
In Conclusion...
Overall I really enjoyed the Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen Grow & Restore line. I didn't monitor any growth as much as I did the promise of strength and restoration because hair growth is not as important to me as the health of my hair. Of course we always have to remember that with health comes growth so since these products did a great job at strengthening and restoring moisture, I am confident that the growth will come.
P.S. For those who are worried about the smell of Jamaican Black Castor Oil... Don't! These products smell more like fresh shea butter than anything else. You won't have to deal with that burnt castor oil smell that we all cringe at.
Have you tried this line? You should!
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